Pashmina: Is It a Type of Material?

Pashmina wool, does anything like this exist? And if so, is its quality higher than that of cashmere? No. Pashmina as a special type of cashmere does not exist. When talking about a Pashmina, we always mean a traditional handwoven scarf made out of either cashmere or a blend of silk and cashmere. Pashmina as a natural fabric does not exist.

Pashmina wool - exploring its history

The term Pashmina wool has existed for quite a while. In the very beginning, there was the Persian word "pasha", meaning "wool". This term was used centuries ago to denote handwoven scarves made from cashmere. This is why it could have been mistakenly called pashmina wool in Europe.

Some legends from the Himalayas also talk about a special type of goat, which has pashmina wool, softer than cashmere. It was called the Pashmina goat, but it does not exist outside of these legends. Also, there are no special spots on the body of the cashmere goat, which has an undercoat so different that it would deserve its own name. We always use only the best and softest fibres to make our pashminas.

Products made from so-called pashmina wool can be fake!

Pashmina has always been the term used for elegant, colorful, handwoven cashmere scarves. Some retailers in Europe, where the term "Pashmina" is not copyrighted, use the name in confusion with cashmere products and label products with no cashmere content as Pashminas. Scarves with this labelling are usually made from ordinary wool or polyester.